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Flint family finds 'hazardous waste' levels of lead in its tap water

LeeAnne Walters has learned that her tap water contains 'hazardous' levels of lead. One of her children has tested positive for lead poisoning.

Flint resident LeeAnne Walters knew her lead levels were high, but had no idea the stuff pouring out of her taps was considered "hazardous waste."

According to a report by the ACLU of Michigan, researchers found that LeeAnne Walter's tap water contains lead levels that can be almost 900 times higher than the 15 parts per billion the EPA considers a problem, and more than twice the levels — "more than twice the amount at which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies water as hazardous waste."

Blood tests have revealed that one of Walters' children has lead poisoning.

Last year, Flint's emergency manager disconnected the city's water system from Detroit; Flint now uses water pumped from the Flint river. But experts say the lack of anti-corrosion agents in the water poses a danger, since toxic scale can build up on the insides of pipes and be released into residents' tap water.

More troubling still, city recommendations that residents "pre-flush" their systems before collecting samples for testing may play a role in underestimating the actual lead levels in their water.

To learn more about this problem Flint's 100,000 residents face, see the mini-documentary below, or read the full report.